DaveyR Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Hi all, I've just this weekend viewed and bought myself a lovely little 2006 MX5 2.0 Sport, which i'll be picking up next weekend. Having taken previous cars for geo/tyres and experiencing the great service that WIM have a reputation for first hand the first port of call will be WIM for geo! A nice surprise on viewing the car was that the car had already been lowered by the previous owner, which I had a suspicion it might as it didn't appear to have the typical 4x4 look in the advert! It has had more than just a change of springs though, which was demonstrated when the boot was opened to reveal all of the original shocks (Bilstein) springs and ARBs! All still in very good condition and included in the sale. I had a quick nose at the new suspension but couldn't make out specifically which shocks, springs etc they were in the short time I had a look at it. It was part-ex'd by the previous owner and the seller didn't know any more detail than the admittedly immaculately extensive file of receipts, servicing info, MOT's etc. The history did reveal the invoice for the suspension components though. They appeared to have been sold and fitted by a mazda garage, to a tune of £1500 for the shocks, springs, ARB's and labour. The car rode very nicely, firm but controlled and not crashy. I know this is a bit vague but the new shocks but the new shocks were blue I think. Does anyone have any clue of what suspension kit this could be? I know pictures would be useful, so my apologies for the lack of! I can add some when I have picked up the car and bought it back, although hopefully it will have been to WIM not too long after that and I might have an answer by then! I know that plenty of cars with Mazda fitted Eibach lowering springs suffer from twisted bushes, is this something that would be evident and rectified when performing geo alignment at WIM, or only noticed when fitting new springs? Thanks in advance! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funky Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Hey Davey, nice car choice Dont know any thing about the set up Mazda may have installed. Just get yr car to WiM for a check up. If Mazda have caused any twisting on bushes etc they can sort that no problem at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeB12 Posted September 3, 2012 Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 Any pre-loaded or twisted bushes can be dealt with when the geo gets sorted! As far as the blue dampers go it's a mystery to me! But again that can all be looked at when its up on the rig! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 Thanks for the replies guys Car will be booked into WIM shortly. As far as the dampers go, i'm not sure how trustworthy my memory is, you'll probably get it up on the ramp and it will have pink shocks with purple springs! Good to know that if there are any twisted bushes they can easily be rectified during the geo, and yeah it would interesting to know what suspension is on it, i'm intrigued! Should it not be any good at least I have the originals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 Booked in next Monday 10th at 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 4, 2012 Report Share Posted September 4, 2012 Hello Dave I have never seen blue dampers on a NC, blue coils are a Mazda option pack or our own lowering coils? The boys will make everything clear when you go in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2012 Hi Tony. Haha, well if you haven't seen blue dampers on an NC before then there is probably a fair chance that my memory is playing up! I'm assuming that the setup is some sort of Mazda option, as the receipt for all of the items and fitting was from a Mazda garage. We'll see eh! I wasn't sure whether I should create a separate topic in the geometry section or to keep it to one thread, I was wondering what might be recommended regarding geo setup. The car will be used on a daily basis, but I understand the Mazda factory settings are not necessarily the way to go? A lot of people seem to request a fast road setup, is this suitable for use every day, or will it cause premature/uneven wear of tyres? A nice pointy front end and progressive nature would be nice and reasonable steering weight and feel is definitely preferable over light/vague steering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 5, 2012 Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 Scary thing and i'm sure this is just chance but the official NC MK3/ 3.5 settings at the back to design height are near to exactly what i wrote for the NA/ NB fast-road settings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 Hmmm, an interesting coincidence....... Ah ok, so even if I have fast road settings applied it won't be that dissimilar to the stock (ride height corrected) geometry anyway. Thanks Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 Settings are almost identical. The only issues i've ever had with them is some owners say the car feels "to safe".... Normally this is from drives used to the likes of TVR, where "loose" is a common conversation. For this reason we developed an "Evolution" set-up that's a bit more tail happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 I see! Yep, I can imagine most cars feel a little "safe" compared to a TVR, I'm sure the abundance of torque and power may also be a factor in that Maybe I'll start with the standard setup and see how I get on with that, I can always try the "evolution" setup at a later date Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freaky Roadster Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Fast Road on any MX5 is good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 Well, picked up the mx5 today and drove back home from Chichester to with my wife in the blazing sunshine First impressions on the way home, firm ride but well damped and not uncomfortable. Steering a little light and vague though, especially at motorway speeds, feels firmly planted at the back but not so much up front. Took it out for a good run in the countryside and found that the shocking state of the roads combined with the firm suspension definitely had me backing off for fear of mid corner bumps etc bouncing the car off line, and also highlighted the compromised rigidity of a soft top. That doesn't stop it being an enjoyable car so far though Bring on WIM on Monday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 "Backing off" is not how a 5 should feel, you should be driving the car remotely. Fear not we will sort this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 So, the car has now been into WIM and geo set to WIM's fast road setup. All done by Luke I think, who explained all of the original positions and changes required. thanks Luke! Have only driven to work so far, although immediate impression is increased steering weight, more of a connection to the road through the wheel compared to before where i found it a little light. I look forward to some more spirited drives! One thing he did flag up was that the adjuster bolts are not far from seizing and that it would be wise to have the bolts removed and re-greased within the next 6 months, followed by geo again. I'm a little but worried about things seizing in the meantime, is it worth me just stumping up the cash now rather than later and bringing it back into WIM to have the bolts re-greased and geo done again, for the sake of saving myself money down the line if things seize up? Combined with rear p-zero's with 4mm or so tread remaining, it could be an expensive first few months of ownership! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 11, 2012 Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 If your keeping the car then it would be wise to have the bolts greased. I'm sure they will offer a discount since geometry has only just been done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 Hi Tony, it is definitely my intention to keep it for a while, unforeseen circumstances aside! I'm not keen on skimping when it comes to looking after my cars so I wouldn't want to leave it be and hope for the best that's for sure I'll have to work out when i'd be able to bring it in for a couple of hours and then phone the guys in Chesham to book it in. Thanks for the input Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 11, 2012 Report Share Posted September 11, 2012 Your welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 If the alignment nuts/bolts are so corroded they are near seizing, would it be best if i bought replacement sets to be fitted, rather than just have the old removed and re-greased? Or would that be a waste of money? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 13, 2012 Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 New is best because it's not just the rust, they can also stretch meaning they are not as tight as you would think and they start to knock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 Yeah, that makes sense, no point in solving one issue only to have to solve another if they stretch and start to get loose. Are the relevant bolts something I can order through WIM in Chesham when booking the car in for the bolts and re-alignment, or should i order them from mx5parts for example? I see that there are quite a few bolts in total, and a couple of different sets at the front. No mention of rear alignment bolts though? I looked under the back of the car last night and could have sworn I saw what looked the same as the alignment bolts with a cam plate holding one of the rear suspension components on either side. Sorry for asking so many questions. I feel like a nagging pain in the ass! Just trying to make sure I don't miss anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 13, 2012 Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 Sorry i think i'm having a blond moment.... Is your a MK3 NC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 Yep And don't worry, I have plenty of those too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 13, 2012 Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 In that case all you need is the bolts greased. The NC bolts are much better than the NA/B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted September 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2012 Ok, brilliant! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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